Bollywood producers fast-track film of Mumbai attacks accused

An Indian film company is to depict the execution of the alleged only surviving gunman from the Mumbai terror attacks, despite the fact that his trial is still ongoing. The producers of Total Ten say their film will tell the true story of 21-year-old Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, the Pakistani national who stands accused of 166 counts of murder and waging war against India. The title refers to the number of people in the terror squad said to be responsible for the three-day rampage of co-ordinated violence that, in addition to the deaths, left more than 300 injured in India's financial capital last November. The film-makers are hopeful of beating at least 17 other similar Indian films to the big screen, according to the Times. But they face one inconvenient truth: the life story they are to tell has not yet reached its denouement. Kasab's case is currently being heard in a special court in front of a lone judge and no jury – but with time of the essence, producers say they will film the accused's death in advance of the real event. The trial got under way early last month and court officials have said they hope the case will be finished in six months to a year. The movie could yet be halted by a legal challenge, however. Kasab's lawyer, Abbas Kazmi, said the film risked prejudicing the trial, one of highest profile in recent Indian history. "Any depiction of the attacks would jeopardise the proceedings," he said. Leading criminal lawyer Majeed Memon added: "A film likely to reflect on the character of an accused must be considered unjust." "We are only showing what was shown to the world by TV channels live," producer Sugath Kumar told the Times. "The best part is that we have a Kasab lookalike playing the role." The verisimilitude of the script also looks to be in doubt. The Mumbai crime branch, which has put together the case against Kasab, has not been contacted by the makers of Total Ten. Senior officer Deven Bharti said: "I doubt the portrayal of events is at all accurate. When the film comes before the censors we will look into the matter." Other planned films based on the attacks include Mumbai Operation 26/11, the makers of which registered their title with the Indian Motion Pictures Producers' Association on November 28, when army commandos were still struggling to subdue some members of the heavily armed terrorist unit during a shootout at two Mumbai hotels.